Brother arrested in murder of 8-year-old girl

Sunday

May 12, 2013 at 12:01 AMMay 13, 2013 at 10:34 AM

VALLEY SPRINGS - After 15 days spent searching for a little girl's killer, Calaveras County Sheriff Gary Kuntz took three deep breaths, stepped in front of a microphone and uttered words that sent shock waves through this close-knit community in the Sierra Nevada foothills.

Jason Anderson

VALLEY SPRINGS - After 15 days spent searching for a little girl's killer, Calaveras County Sheriff Gary Kuntz took three deep breaths, stepped in front of a microphone and uttered words that sent shock waves through this close-knit community in the Sierra Nevada foothills.

Kuntz's announcement was met with a loud, collective gasp from dozens of community members who gathered outside the Valley Springs substation, which is located in a shopping center on Highway 12, about 30 miles east of Stockton. Residents have followed the case closely since Leila was stabbed to death April 27 in her home on Rippon Road. Some said they sensed that the investigation was pointing to the girl's brother, but others were stunned.

Leila's brother initially told authorities he found the girl suffering from multiple stab wounds when he went to check on her after encountering an intruder in their home. The boy told investigators the intruder was a white or Latino man with long gray hair, and that he fled on foot.

Local, state and federal authorities spent over 2,000 hours investigating the case, Kuntz said, combing the countryside and utilizing all available resources in their search for a killer. Valley Springs residents lived in fear for more than two weeks, wondering whether there was a killer on the loose in a community of about 2,500 people.

"For the first week or so afterward, you looked at everybody with a suspicious eye, which you never did in this town before," Doug Thompson said. "A week afterwards, we were at the pizza place, and a family was in there with young kids, and the mom and dad were going, 'Don't leave your brother's side. There's a killer in this town.' It freaked a lot of people out."

Kelli Thompson said she began to suspect Leila's brother might be responsible when a massive manhunt failed to turn up clues. She expressed mixed feelings after Kuntz announced that the boy had been arrested.

"Two things," she said, "confirmation that we don't have to fear a murderer, and then devastation that a 12-year-old could do this."

Kuntz provided few details and did not answer questions at Saturday's news conference. Sgt. Chris Hewitt, a spokesman for the Calaveras County Sheriff's Office, said authorities would not release additional information at this time.

"This is still an active, ongoing investigation," he said. "Further details will be released when appropriate through a press release on our website."

Kuntz thanked a number of outside law enforcement agencies for their assistance with the case, including the California Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the California Highway Patrol and the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office. Kuntz also expressed gratitude for the community's support.

"I want to thank the citizens of Calaveras County for their patience and their constant support for both Leila's family and our investigation during these difficult times in our community," Kuntz said. "The citizens of Calaveras County will sleep a little better tonight."